The university recently announced the impending launch of the new bachelor’s program as well as a six-course AI minor program at the same time. Both include courses on machine learning, natural language processing and analytics. The major program delves deeper into specific domains, from robotic systems to AI law and policy.
According to the four-year program website, the major centers on connecting human needs with technical innovation and includes courses in psychology, art and ethics, in addition to math and computer science.
In addition to their on-campus studies, students will be required to spend two semesters getting full-time, paid work experience through the cooperative education program. RIT partners with tech companies like Google, Apple, IBM and Microsoft for student employment opportunities, according to the co-op program website.
“Our AI degree is informed by industry needs, and expertise from across our college, and features the hands-on curriculum that is a hallmark of an RIT education,” Matt Huenerfauth, dean of the College of Computing and Information Sciences at RIT, said in a public statement.
The new paths of study come as employers increasingly seek AI expertise in their employees. The number of AI job postings grew from 20,600 in 2010 to 180,900 in 2018, according to university researchers. By 2025, that number grew to more than 1 million, according to an analysis of LinkedIn data.
The new degree programs build on RIT’s history of embracing new tech. RIT has been teaching courses on AI since 1986 and created a master’s degree in AI in 2023. According to the news release, the school was among the first to offer undergraduate programs in information technology and software engineering.
Rochester joins a growing list of universities across the U.S. to have announced undergraduate programs in AI in the last two years, including the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University at Buffalo, Louisiana State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Rogers State University and Kean University.
